Carpet gripper



Filed July 27, 1951 C. M. SZPILBERG CARPET GRIPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet l.Ewenl'or Zaz'i/z zgoz'lb rlg 1954 c. M. SZPILBERG 2,664,589

CARPET GRIPPER Filed July 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5,1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARPET GRIPPER Chaim M. Szpilberg,Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application July 27, 1951, Serial No. 238,817

3 Claims.

Introduction Applicants development The applicant has now developed acarpet gripper which is excellent for the purpose and at the same timeovercomes disadvantages of the prior devices. The applicant has foundthat a much better grip on the carpet obtains when each engaging meansincludes a pair of closely spaced points parallel to the longitudinalaxis means, the means of each row being staggered as compared with thosein adjoining rows. Only half as much tension is applied to any localizedportion of the carpet and only half as much strain put on any one pointof one thread.

One of the applicants preferred forms of gripper has as a base a stripof wood. There are a number of staples inserted through the strip withtheir points projecting beyond its surface at an angle. These staplesare preferably arranged in spaced apart rows. In the case-of a strip 1%;inches wide, the applicant prefers to use two or three rows with thestaples spaced so that the prong of one staple spaced approximately 1inch from the prong of the adjacent staple and the staples of respectiverows staggered. The staples penetrate the base at an angle between 50 to60 to the face of the strip. Plywood is a most suitable materia1 fromwhich to make the strip. The base layer usually has its grain run-- ninglengthwise, the intermediate layer cross contrast to plywood. Onesuitable wood is bass wood.

In an alternative construction according to the invention, the pairs ofprongs may be formed on a metal strip. These pairs are preferablyarranged in rows, the prongs of each row staggered. There may be, forexample two or three rows. The metal strip may be a channel member andit can include a wooden filler. The function and manner of applying thegripper made in this way is similar to the application of the strip madeentirely from wood using staples as the engaging means.

Detailed description Further details of the invention will be gatheredfrom the following detailed description of several preferred embodimentswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carpet gripper of a preferred form,according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in cross-section of thecorner of a room in which a carpet has been laid, according to theinvention, usin the applicants preferred type of gripper.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section substantially along the lines3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section along the line 44 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section taken along the length of thegripper of the previous figures showing the relationship to a cementfloor.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another kind of gripper, according tothe invention.

Figure 7 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a part of the grippershown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of the bottom of a carpet illustrating themanner in which the gripper operates to engage the normal type of carpetFigure 9 is a perspective View of a staple of a type preferred for usein connection with the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the preferred gripper shownuses a plywood strip as the base. This strip includes a primary layerill in which the grain runs lengthwise, a secondary layer l5 in whichthe grain runs cross-wise and a third layer H5 in which the grain runslengthwise. While only three layers have been illustrated, it isunderstood'that five layers could also be used. A one-piece strip ofwood can be employed, but plywood is preferred. 1

Rows of staples 25, 2S and 21 penetrate the base A and have their points2%, 26b and 21b projecting diagonally beyond, as best shown in thefigure, and their heads 25a, 26a and 21a embedded in the underside ofthe edge of the strip A. If the floor is of wood, the head 25a of thestaple may be embedded beneath the surface of the strip. If the floor iscement, the head may be flush with the surface of the strip.

:Function 51 The gripper is applied as follows. The strips A" are nailedor cemented to the floor B with: the inside edge spaced slightly fromthe wall C? leaving enough room to push the edge of the car- 1 petbetween the wall and the'gripperiA felt mat D of the same thicknesssasthe gripper. is laid to cover the entire free floor space. The Carpetaction of the points is better than in the case of single points.

Figure 9 shows a form of staple preferred for use in connection with theinvention.

This staple has a pair of spaced apart shanks I50 and i! connected by abridge portion I52. The staple is quadrilateral in cross section. Theshanks are tapered at their ends to form points.

The preferred dimensicnspf thestaple are as oafollows. The thicknesslofthe staple represented "by 0. preferably ranges from about 0.030

(thirty thousandths) to about 0.065 (sixty-five thousandths) and is bychoice about 0.040 3 f(f0Ii'/y thousandths). The dimension b is 5preferably about 0.090 (ninety thousandths).

The length of the staple i. e. the dimension d may range-from about ofan inch to about of an inch.

E is then laid over the felt andnilh r pp s The inside dimension 0 fromshank to shank with the edge of the carpet stretched and imso may rangefrom about {is or an inch to about A;

pa ed -.on;.the-. prongs of .the .staples; Aimolding F may be placed inthe angle of the wall tocover the edgeof thecarpetoverthe-topotthegripper, {Ifhe carpet may-.bestretched into placebyspecial;

of an inch andziszpreferably around of an inch. The staplesin the samerow. arespaced apart .fromcenter to center preferably. from about 1% .toabout 2 /211. The distance between the'staples i gripping devicesavailable for t p A in each row, center to center, is preferably from s.foureedgesof. thecarpetare gripped by a gripper i .at each wall.The-gripper of the invention has the following advantag.es.:- It can bepositively and easily anto'about 1 /4".

The preferred strip width is around 1%". There are preferably two or.three rows of staples longitudinally of.the stripih which thechoreditoia floorof cement; wood or othermate- 9 staples ar staggered.laterally pt 151; n

rial. --.1t-1can;be,n ai1ecl;. it can be cemented. The gripping prongsare-solidly anchorediin. th base strip. The base strip itself is strongand will not allow removal or shifting of the prongs. The device isflexiblein that it"cambe made in various 3 sizes, widthsandwthicknessesas It is made from 1 eadily,availablematerialsmInmakingthe griper; the :prongs can bezadgiusted-so that'the gripu everisrcalibratedntothespaoingpof the, warp and H one preferredconstructionthe staplesbf one row are from the edge" of the strip at one side. Thisis astwo-row strip.

The. more shots. in. the .carpet: asmaller staple is better. -Foriexampleinacarpethai/ing.8 or 9 shotsperinch aa staple '.of. about T g?!(dimension 20) is best. ..ln.the case of-carpets. having 5orfisshots'pen inch a..staple of.abo'ut. .(dimension (0). .1/4ispreferred.

w n a particular rp e p en r pp 40; l The angle. of.=-the..staple..tothe-surface of the 1. vgri-p the" carpet better; than-4 most previousqdevices. One particular advantage of employing stapless 1; nisthat'thegpo'ints havearbetter grip-:on'the warp and weftofithe-carpet;This is .becausepairs of -..=;:,;-;-heads;;ofthegstaples as ,wellxas tothe-wood.

. rArr-ralte nate.for rof r ripper is: showrrn Fispoints 1 2.5; I125and-1H1: areproyidedson an .elonat dsmetabbase- 3111 this. case.;the;-=metal is a g channel G having flanges E30 and provided withawooden filler Mil-r-rEoints 112.5,: 1:35 and I2! :arerform d .bmpunchingout ii hei fi l'fQf the strip G as shown. In use, the device :furictionsimilarlyto the'device of the previous figures. z fijigure 8 is ahorizontalr-cross-section looking mpwardsirtaken just under thecarpetzsubstam I :tia-lly along the line 0'-'8 of Figure: 3.- The warph-reads are; represented 1=by.:,.50. and therweft .hreads by 5!. Thepoints-.25; 2B and :21 are in ap int s'r ppatrthesame time, two l s lyspaced a;likely to split thezwood.

lites-6 and l: Iii-this case-sp ced:apa trpairs f i strip may, rangefrom around ioitoaroun'd 65.

. Where alower angle isemployed. staples need be .longerthaninthecase.wherealiighenangle is .f.employed.

d The. useof staples instead of single nails. has a number.ofmadvantag'es'. Thestaple always en- ,..,gages the carpet; at twoclosely spaced. .apart ,...points.." .80 lesspressure is.applied..to.thecarpet at anyone point-and likewise .less..pressureis apl'plied tothestap1'e..-.. .Whereasinthe case o'flnails, -a shank thicknesssfromsabout. seventy. .to about eighty. thousandths, thatis aboutisstandard,

with staples the wire'cari. be from 0.0625.....down toabout-0.0.40Gias.illustrated. This .in turn recementisused:Hiecementadheres:to-the wide acts 'favomblywon theimanufarctureiofrtheproduct..-.- The smallershanks of the staples are less L .:.:1Thesapplicant can nurther ;.emp1oy. ordinary wood-,zfor example basswoodyinsteadofplywood.

If desired, thB"TWO0d can berprovided with. a fac- "ingzot paper :orcloth or eveni-e'. coating of plastic or rubber from a solution.

"So the present construction is advantageous not only infunction, butalso in manufacture. Iclaim:

- I. A carpet gripper, comprising, an "elongated narrow thinwoodenstripadapted to lie along a :door'margin and be anchored to it and "having abottom face and a top face, a plurality of i5 staples 'extending throughthe strip andeach having abridge portion adjacenttothe'hottom.positiontoengage the;adjacent Warpthread, or waits-thread. as :the.case may;-:.be', at two 1 closely l.

spaced apartpoints. The :pointsgstraddle the 1;

cross threadsc.- .-Because.rof thisarrangement the.

r face and a pair 'of' prongs extending from said ridge p'ortion throughthe strip and." extending tia' carpet-grippinganglefrom the top face,the oastaplesbeing arranged :in apluralit of rows lon- 5 gitudinally ofthe strip, the bridge portion of each staple extending longitudinally ofthe strip whereby its prongs are substantially equally spaced from themargin of the strip, the prongs of each staple being spaced apart fromabout 1% to about whereby they are adapted to cooperate in engagingclosely spaced apart portions of the carpet under tension with eachprong taking about half the pull, the respective staples in each rowbeing spaced apart from about 1%" to about 2 /2 between their centers.

2. A carpet gripper, according to claim 1, in which the grain extendslengthwise.

6 3. A carpet gripper, according to claim 1, in

Number Name Date 118,019 Johnson Aug. 15, 1871 406,451 Lange July 9,1889 10 2,211,574 McNicholas Aug. 13, 1940 2,238,946 Roberts Apr. 22,1941 2,429,256 Block Oct. 21, 1947 2,514,335 Owens July 4, 1950

